Hunting Dogs 5: Pedigree Papers
by spotpc
Summary: Since Amon found proof of his demonic roots, things have been quiet. But the STNJ is about to unwrap a package that could be their biggest challenge yet. What does old Travisian know about the package? And is Amon strong enough to withstand its power?
1. Chapter 1

What is this, my eighth fic? I can't believe I've gotten this far. But anyway, here we go again. This story follows right on the heels of HD4, so you should probably read that first. I'm pretty sure some of you skipped it because it was 23 chapters long. And I also know that it's cruel to say you should go back and read it. I suppose you could get away with only reading the first two and last three chapters, but there's an awful lot of fun cool stuff in between. And it's worth it to understand this new one. The true origin of witches and some other creatures will finally be detailed in this story. So enjoy!

Hunting Dogs 5: Pedigree Papers

1

July 30

06:48:23 PM

Whitedog: Are you sure you should do this? It seems like too big a risk.

Blackdog: I'm aware that it may be dangerous. But how can I leave it alone?

Whitedog: Quite easily. You could simply lock the thing in a magical vault and forget it exists.

Blackdog: Easier said than done. Be glad you aren't the one who has to deal with this.

Whitedog: I am glad. Very much so, in fact. You will let me know what you find, won't you?

Blackdog: You don't sound worried anymore.

Whitedog: Since when have I ever worried about you? Even though you've been known to make rash decisions.

Blackdog: I know what I'm doing. You're just going to have to trust me. I have to go now. I'll be back in touch later.

07:02:09 PM

Amon signed off his IM and got up from his computer terminal. He couldn't let Integra's concerns distract him. Robin had just arrived and they were about to start. They had moved one of the spare desks into the middle of the office floor and the package lay on it, as creepy as ever. Shadows fell across it as Amon and the others gathered around it, blocking the soft beams of the overhead lighting. Without a word, Amon reached out and pulled away one of the spirit wards.

2

Nagira scraped his arm on the edge of the office door as he rushed to answer the phone ringing on his desk. He didn't know where Hana had run off to but he'd be damned if he couldn't answer his own work phone.

"Nagira law office," he said, rubbing his arm.

"Mr. Nagira," the familiar accented voice said.

"Travisian?" Nagira said a little louder than he meant to.

"I hope I have reached you in time, my friend," Travisian said. "Did your brother find a third object inside the cave?"

"How did you know about that?" Nagira asked.

"There is no time to explain. If he has not yet begun the process of unwrapping it, you must stop him from doing it. He must not touch the thing without its wrappings."

"He was going to do it today. He might already be done."

"Let us pray that he has not. You must telephone him and tell him to stop. I am on my way there right now, but it may be hours before I can reach you again."

Nagira's confusion got the better of him for a moment. "Alright, I'll call him. But what's so dangerous about that thing?"

"I will explain when I arrive. Please call now." Travisian hung up the phone.

Nagira couldn't make sense of any of this but he started dialing anyway.

3

The whole STNJ stood in silence. Even Dojima said nothing. They had started to take turns pulling the spirit wards from the package. As they each reached out and pulled in turn, a definite shape was beginning to emerge from the layered paper. It looked like a sword, but it was too big to be a traditional Japanese sword. It was shaped more like a European sword, narrow at the hilt and broadening as it reached out over its three feet of length. But it wasn't just the appearance of the thing that made everyone stare. With each pull of the old yellowed paper, the feeling of dread that seemed to rise from it got stronger. They hardly noticed when the phone rang. Amon signaled for Michael to answer it and he left the table reluctantly.

"We shouldn't be doing this," Karasuma said as she reached for the next paper.

Almost immediately, Michael started shouting.

"Stop! Nagira says to stop. It's dangerous."

Amon acted quickly, reaching across the desk to grab the sword away from Karasuma. The moment his hand closed on the hilt, his eyes widened. The others jumped back in shock. It was then that Robin noticed the wiry woven hilt binding, laid bare by the last few peelings, peeking out from under Amon's hand. As he stood frozen with his hand on the sword, a low guttering blue glow appeared around the blade. After a few seconds, the remaining spirit wards turned black and disintegrated, crumbling to dust that spread across the desktop. Amon pulled the long silver sword off the desk and held it up in front of him. Or rather, not Amon but something else. Robin could see his arm shaking as if he were resisting his own movement.

"Amon?" she said in a small voice.

"Run," he said without looking away from the sword. "Run. Get out of here."

Everyone else did as they were told and fled to the glass enclosed foyer, but Robin stood still.

"Robin!" Karasuma called out, holding the elevator door open.

"Don't worry about me," Robin called back. "Just go."

The elevator door closed and the others were gone. Amon stood just as he had been, riveted to the spot. After a moment he spoke.

"What are you doing? I told you to run."

"Not without you," Robin replied. "Tell me what's wrong."

"The sword..." It was getting harder for him to speak. He was breathing harder too, struggling against something. "It wants to kill."

Robin took a step towards him but he drew back, pushing his sword arm down with his free hand.

"Stay away from me," he snarled.

"Let the sword go. Why don't you just drop it?" Robin asked.

"I can't. The sword is... alive."

"Amon, that's impossible."

"Just go. Just get away."

"I'm not leaving you."

"I don't know... how long I can..."

Robin pulled her glasses from her pocket and put them on. If the sword was really trying to possess Amon's body, then the sooner she destroyed it the better. She focused her energy, ready to strike.

"No! Don't!" Amon shouted. But it was too late. The sword was engulfed in flames for a few seconds. Robin was sure the evil thing would be subdued by that, but when the fire cleared there wasn't even a mark on the blade. Before she could react, the sword swung upwards through Amon's snarl of pain. A flash of light blasted through the air and Robin found herself on the floor on the other side of the room. For a moment, she just sat there stunned and then she began to feel light-headed. She guessed later that she had passed out because when she opened her eyes again, Amon and the sword were gone.

Story Notes:

For those who didn't make it all the way to the epilogue of HD4, "Blackdog" is Amon's screen name and "Whitedog" is Integra Hellsing's screen name. The two of them met and became friends back in HD3.

"...magical vault..." - Integra references one of my old favorite TV series here. Friday the 13th: The Series which ran for 3 seasons during the late 80s. Plot: Two cousins inherit an antique shop from their late uncle. They quickly discover that their uncle had sold dozens of cursed items as part of a pact with the Devil. With the help of their uncle's best friend, the cousins risk life and limb to get the cursed objects back and secure them in a magically sealed vault in the shop's basement.

I'd prefer not to reveal the sword's name until later but I'm sure a few of you have already guessed its identity. Special bonus points to whoever guesses it correctly.


	2. Chapter 2

4

"So it's too late?" Nagira asked, his voice sounding strained over the phone.

"It looks that way," Sakaki said. He and the others had regrouped at Harry's twenty minutes after Amon had ordered them out of the office. They sat huddled together at a corner table, none of them feeling much like eating or drinking anything.

"Has anyone heard from Robin?" Nagira asked.

"Not yet," Sakaki said. "But I'm sure she's alright. This isn't the first time she's gone to silent running. She'll contact us soon. Hopefully, she'll have good news about Amon too. We haven't heard a word from him either."

"I think I can help you guys out," Nagira said after a long pause. "There's a guy who has a lot of info arriving in the country today. I need one of you guys to pick him up at the airport."

"Alright, what flight is he on?"

"Don't know yet. I'll call you back soon with the details. Don't get too depressed over there."

5

Robin used a chair to pull herself to her feet. The pain was making it difficult. She guessed that the force of the energy attack had cracked a few of her ribs. Her left leg didn't feel very good either. She was limping as she made her way over to the Chief's old desk. She knew that Amon had squirreled away a single jewel shard for use in emergencies. This certainly seemed like an emergency to Robin. The sword that possessed Amon was an artifact from the Feudal Era, and there was only one place she knew of to go for help. She reached under the desk and pressed up on the loose panel on the underside. The shard fell out into her hand. She stuffed it in her pocket with the key to her Vespa. She wasn't sure how well she could ride in this condition. But there was no time to lose.

6

Karasuma parked her car in the dark alley behind Nagira's office. The old man in the back seat had insisted on it. In fact, he had insisted on everything since he'd arrived in Japan only two hours before. Karasuma couldn't figure out why he was doing that, but she followed every instruction to the letter as Nagira had asked.

"Thank you," said the old man as he got out of the car.

"It's really no problem," she replied.

They were just going in the back door of the office when the old man stopped in his tracks.

"You are sure that he touched the exposed hilt with his bare hand?" he asked.

"Absolutely sure," she said.

"Call the others to meet us here. There are things you all must know if you want to help your friend."

Karasuma pulled out her cell phone without hesitation.

7

Kagome and the others looked up from their card game. Robin's face was stained with road dust from her long ride. Her limp had gotten worse and she had one arm wrapped around her chest. Kagome was the first one on her feet.

"What happened?" she asked, pulling Robin's free arm over her shoulders to support her weight.

"The sword..." Robin said, "It was evil. Nagira warned us. Amon... he wanted to take it away. But when he touched it..."

"Wait, what sword?" Miroku asked.

Robin gathered her strength and stood up straighter. "We found it in the cave with Tetsusaiga and Tenseiga. We brought them all back with us. But when we unwrapped it, we felt an evil aura."

"You found what in a cave!?" Inuyasha snapped.

"And it possessed Amon when he touched it?" Sango asked.

"Yes."

"And he came after you, didn't he?" Kagome said.

Robin looked down and said nothing.

Kagome and Inuyasha looked at each other for a moment.

"It has to be Toukijin," Inuyasha said.

"Then there's only one person who can help him," Kagome said.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Miroku asked. "We all know what could happen as a result."

"We don't have a choice," Kagome said. "The last person who got possessed by Toukijin had his body fall apart after a while."

"Someone will have to lead it through the well," Sango said.

"I'll do it," Robin said.

"You're in no condition to do that now," Miroku said.

"Heck, I'll do it," Inuyasha said.

8

Amon could feel his feet dragging on the concrete as the sword forced his body to walk. After two hours of wandering the back alleys he was starting to see double. Not a good sign. He could hear whispering far in the back of his mind. And gleeful sniggering.

"Who are you?" Amon asked out loud.

"Who am I?" the voice rasped soundlessly. "When I was a living demon my name was Goshinki. I was what you would call a telepath. But then I was killed by a brazen half-demon. My fangs were used to make this sword and so my soul was trapped inside. My master, your ancestor, Sesshomaru called me Toukijin. He kept my power sealed away for centuries. But now that I'm free and have this new body, I will do as I please."

"You are not free yet. You still haven't silenced me."

"Heh. You may be my master's spawn, but you are still a weak little mortal."

"Is that what you think?"

Amon gathered his energy once again. He lunged, sinking his teeth into the flesh of the hand that held the sword. The pain seemed to spread all over his body and he felt his legs stop moving.

"What are you doing, little human?"

"I told you, if you want this body, you must first deal with me."

Amon felt his jaw being pried open from the inside and he struggled to keep it closed. The blood was starting to drip from his hand onto the street. After long minutes, the spirit forced his mouth open and released the hand.

"You are already dealt with, little human. This body is mine."

Story Notes:

"Toukijin" - This was the sword Sesshomaru acquired in episode 45 of Inuyasha. He commissioned the evil swordsmith Kaijinbo to forge the weapon from the fangs of Goshinki, an incarnation of the villain Naraku. But Toukijin was no ordinary sword. It contained all the rage and malice that Goshinki had felt at the moment of his death. In episode 44, Toukijin possessed its creator Kaijinbo and after a few hours of controlling him, the strain became too great and his body collapsed and died. As powerful as the sword was, its evil aura was completely quashed when Sesshomaru touched it in episode 45.

"Goshinki" - Goshinki was one of Naraku's spawn who appeared in episode 43 of Inuyasha. His gimmick was reading the thoughts of his opponents in battle and reacting to their moves before they made them. He was even able to bite the Tetsusaiga in half. Unfortunately, that released Inuyasha's demon blood and sent him into his first full demon transformation. With the massive power boost, Inuyasha was able to kill Goshinki. The story Toukijin tells Amon is a brief version of the major events of episodes 43-45.


	3. Chapter 3

9

Sesshomaru looked up from where Rin was playing in the rippling stream as Jaken came staggering out of the woods behind him. He had heard the commotion going on behind the trees, but he'd felt no need to step in. The two humans he smelled often abused the little imp but they never seemed to want to finish him off. Jaken collapsed at his master's feet, trying not to touch the developing bump on his head.

"Sesshomaru-sama, Inuyasha's friends… They say they have something to show you."

Something to show? What could they possibly have that would be of interest to him? Did something happen to Tetsusaiga?

"Stay with Rin," he commanded as he walked off.

"Do you think we got him?" Kagome asked while she and Miroku were heading back towards the well.

"I don't know," he replied. "But we had to do it that way. If we had told him the truth, he wouldn't have come."

10

It was full dark when Inuyasha caught up to Toukijin. The half-demon stood on the roof of a warehouse and looked down over the industrial park below. The landscape of steel and concrete was alien enough to him. But the hunched figure dragging the sword through the open expanse in the center sent a chill up his spine.

"Hey, long time no see, you overgrown toothpick," he called out.

The sword glowed a brilliant angry blue and Amon looked up from the grey pavement at his feet.

"You… What are you…?"

"Saving your stupid ass," Inuyasha replied. Amon was obviously in pain. Resisting the sword's power was using up a lot of his energy and he looked about ready to break down. But he seemed to figure out the plan quickly enough because he didn't appear to be resisting at all when Inuyasha started off towards the Higurashi shrine and Toukijin followed.

11

Travisian sipped water from a cheap glass as the others pulled up chairs close to where he sat next to Nagira's desk. Apparently, the promise of information had gotten around because they all looked excited to be there. And they should be, Travisian thought. He only wished that he had caught them in time to stop the sword. Through his long years of confinement in The Vatican, one of his few joys had been imagining his family's reunion with the Dog Clan. But that dream was in danger of being ruined now. And what could he do to save it? Nothing, except try to explain 500 years of secret history to people who were not in the proper mindset. Where to begin?

"In order to put my information in the proper perspective, you must first understand my family," he said. "My name is Albert Travisian and I know a great deal about the business of hunting evil. Indeed, my family has been in that line for longer than anyone remembers. My earliest ancestors hunted evil demons here in Japan and helped many people. But they did not hate all demons. Some of their closest friends were courageous demons who turned against their vilest kin in defense of humans. Foremost among these creatures was the half-demon son of the Great Dog Demon Inutaisho. His name was Inuyasha. During the Feudal Era, he and my ancestors traveled together, defeating the monster Naraku and killing only demons who committed acts of violence towards humans. They promoted peace and harmony between the two groups and they were well loved by the people they protected.

"But after many years, another group of humans rose up against the demons. But they were not fair-minded like my ancestors and their friends. They were full of rage and hatred and they sought to destroy every demon they laid their eyes on. It did not matter to them whether a demon was good or evil. They despised all demons equally. Even Inuyasha, who was only a half demon, was not exempt. The slayers, as they were called, roamed the forests and plains and killed thousands of demons. My ancestor Miroku recorded the events of those terrible days in one of his early writings."

Here, Travisian paused and reached under Nagira's desk. Days ago, he had sent Nagira all the scrolls he thought would be relevant to his story. And now he pulled one out of its plastic tube and unrolled it. He took a sip of water and read the scroll out loud.

_Only a few months have passed since I last wrote. The demon purges have been progressing even faster than we feared. The slayers attack in such numbers that even the strongest demons fall before them. And their hatred seems unquenchable. Kagome-sama calls it 'genocide'. Spurred by her kind heart, we sent messages to all the demons we know offering protection. They began to arrive almost immediately._

_The first was my dear friend Hachi who brought a mountain cat named Bunza with him. The news from the mountains was bad. The mountain cat tribe had been attacked by slayers and massacred. Bunza and two of his friends were the only known survivors. A few days later, word reached us that the wolf demon tribe had fallen as well. The slayers had cornered them inside their cave den. Kouga and Ayame were able to fight their way out and escape but they could not save the others._

_Next to arrive was Touran. She was badly wounded and barely made it to our gathering place. A whole day passed before she was strong enough to tell us what happened. The cat demon tribe had received our message and left their home together. But they were ambushed and cut down. Touran herself managed to get away but her siblings were not so lucky._

_Soten and Koryu arrived two weeks ago. They avoided the slayers altogether by flying the whole way to reach us. Myouga and his fiance Shyuga came with them as well._

_Jinenji arrived several days ago and Shiori was with him. Apparently, Shiori had been attacked by a group of slayers on the road when Jinenji happened to come along. Luckily it was a small party and he was able to drive them off. They traveled the rest of the way together. Both lost their mothers years ago and neither has anybody else to turn to now._

_At this point, anyone who has not arrived is presumed dead or in hiding elsewhere._

Story Notes:

"My ancestor Miroku…" - I hope you all liked this little surprise. I've been hinting at it ever since the beginning of HD4 but I wasn't sure anyone really noticed.

"…all the scrolls…" - At the end of HD4, Nagira received a courier package with some more scrolls. These are the ones Travisian will be reading from throughout this story.

The names of a lot of demons are mentioned in the excerpt from the scroll in this chapter. Just so it'll make more sense, here's a little guide.

Hachi - Tanuki (or Badger) demon, first introduced in episode 16. Miroku's former sidekick.

Bunza - Mountain Cat (or Linx) demon, first introduced in episode 72.

Kouga - Wolf demon, first introduced in episode 35.

Ayame - Wolf demon, first introduced in episode 83. Kouga's fiancé.

Touran - Cat (or Panther) demon, first introduced in episode 75.

Soten - Thunder demon, first introduced in episode 68. Little sister of the Thunder Brothers.

Koryu - Dragon demon, first introduced in episode 68. Soten's sidekick.

Myouga - Flea demon, first introduced in episode 5.

Shyuga - Flea demon, first introduced in episode 65. Myouga's fiance

Jinenji - Half Earth demon, first introduced in episode 31.

Shiori - Half Bat demon, first introduced in episode 73.


	4. Chapter 4

12

"Hey, wait. Don't get up yet," Shippo said.

Robin wincing as she sat up on Kaede's futon. Kagome and Miroku had just reappeared out of the summer night and she was eager to hear the news. Her ribs were bound tightly in bandages and her leg was splinted with a sturdy piece of wood. The aspirin was taking the edge off the pain, but it was still tough to move.

"Is he coming?" she asked.

"We're pretty sure he is," Kagome replied with a hopeful smile.

"Are you sure this is the only way?" Robin asked.

"I'm sure. Sesshomaru is the only one who can keep Toukijin in check. Anyone else would be..." Kagome let her voice trail off. There was no need to say more.

Robin closed her eyes and lowered herself back onto the futon, wincing again. The danger Amon was in seemed so much blacker now. Kagome must have guessed at her thoughts because she came over and sat down beside the futon.

"It's going to be okay. Sesshomaru's coming and we think we can get him to help without revealing too much," she said.

"I don't want him to disappear," Robin said, squeezing her eyes shut.

"That won't happen," Kagome said. "We won't let that happen.

13

Inuyasha was getting impatient. Several times he had been forced to stop and wait for Amon and the sword so not to lose them. A few times he had even dodged an energy blast or two. But at least they were close to the shrine now and Amon's body hadn't broken down yet. Small favors, Inuyasha thought as he stood on the fence outside Kagome's school. The empty schoolyard would have been the perfect place to make a stand. But that wasn't the plan. He was playing a running game tonight. Normally he would get from the school to the shrine by jumping over the rooftops or walking through the shopping district. But both those options were out of the question this time. Amon wouldn't be able to navigate the rooftops carrying the heavy sword. And the shops would have too many people, even at this hour. Skirting around the most crowded areas would take longer but it was the best choice.

Inuyasha had to jump aside as a blue energy blast hit the fence just under his feet. The sword had caught up with him already. Amon made eye contact with him from a few dozen meters down the street. It was time to run on. The sooner he could get Amon through the well, the better

14

"I knew it had to be him," Dojima said. "That handwriting is just unmistakable."

"Whatever," Sakaki retorted. "You don't have as many answers as you want us to think."

"Oh yeah?" Dojima challenged him.

Travisian cleared his throat loudly to silence them and took another sip of water. He carefully rolled up the scroll and slipped it back into its tube before continuing.

"Miroku began the tradition of keeping the history of the Dog Demon Clan and those allied with them. In his writings he chronicled the Demon Purges, as they came to be called, and their aftermath. The few high level demons who survived became increasingly dependant on humans to help them elude the slayers. Alliances were made and romances cultivated. Eventually, a wave of half-demons was born, the beginning of modern day witches.

"In order to use their crafts, witches channel demonic life energy from their bodies. Because that energy dwindles with each generation of interbreeding with humans, witches today have only enough to run one craft for each. There are exceptions to this rule, but they are rare. The basic abilities that were common to all high level demons during the Feudal Era have disappeared from most witch bloodlines, leaving only the distinctive special abilities behind. Because witches use their life energy to power their crafts, serious illness or injury can cause their abilities to weaken or even disappear altogether. But witches were not the only creatures spawned in the wake of the Purges."

Travisian pulled another scroll from the cylinder and read aloud again.

_Only yesterday, Royokan stumbled into our camp, bringing news from the forests. The last remaining hiding places where demons are congregating are being rooted out and annihilated. However, a few low level demons are managing to escape by taking possession of human bodies. Villagers have begun to call them Nightbreeds because they switch bodies every night in order to stay hidden from the slayers._

_In addition to the Nightbreed problem, a new type of evil has begun to leak into Japan from overseas. Whispers have been circulating in the nearby villages of a creature that appears to be human but survives by drinking human blood. When asked to explain this phenomenon, the foreign traders refer to them as "vampires". Inuyasha and I had occasion to fight one of these vampires just recently and they are dangerous foes. Thankfully, they do not attack in groups as low level demons used to. They are solitary creatures for the most part. However, it's clear that they would not have been able to gain a foothold here if demons were still plentiful._

Story Notes:

Royokan - Forest spirit, first introduced in episode 20

Nightbreeds - If this term seems familiar to you, then you must have seen at least one episode of Nightwalker. Nightbreeds were the parasitic creatures of darkness kept in check by the vampire Shido and his friends. They specialize is exorcizing Nightbreeds from their often unwilling human hosts.


	5. Chapter 5

I'm sorry this took so long. I've been busy with work and other things. I'll try to be more diligent from now on.

15

Inuyasha almost felt relaxed as he landed lightly on the gate of the Higurashi Shrine. He was used to being out of danger there and having to stay on guard aggravated him. The sky was still dark but he could see the well-house on the other side of the God Tree. He could have Amon and the sword there in a matter of minutes. Amon's ability to use the well without a jewel shard would make things easier. Inuyasha looked around to the stairs that led down to the street. Toukijin was already climbing, glowing brighter than ever. Amon's face was a picture of concentration as the blue light illuminated it. Inuyasha couldn't tell if it was Amon or Toukijin glaring through those eyes but it didn't matter. The sword raised itself and fired another energy blast. Inuyasha ducked and the beam passed over his head. Toukijin's aim wasn't as good as it had been earlier. Was Amon's body weakening even further? Or was it the sword itself that was weak? After being sealed for so long, could it be that Toukijin wasn't back to its full strength? Inuyasha abandoned his perch on top of the shrine gate and ran for the well house.

16

Sesshomaru was getting the feeling that he was being conned. A feeling he didn't enjoy. He could smell the humans up ahead through the trees. Their conversation sounded tense, as if a storm was gathering.

"Are you sure you should be out here? Maybe you should stay inside and let us handle this."

"I'm okay. I feel better now. I just want to see the end of this."

"Let her be, Houshi-sama. We have other things to worry about."

"How will we get him to stand still? It won't be easy."

"We won't have to do anything extra if things go according to plan."

"Yes, we stick to the plan… for now."

Why were they clustered so close together? And why wasn't Inuyasha with them? Something wasn't right. Sesshomaru quickened his pace until he reached the edge of a clearing. The humans were all standing around a well which, to Sesshomaru's knowledge, had been dry for ages. Was this some kind of trap? The first to look up at his approach was the golden-haired witch he remembered seeing only briefly before. He could tell that she was injured by the way she held her foot just off the ground. She watched him and said nothing at first. Kagome was quick to jump in before her.

"You're here just in time. Inuyasha will be here in a minute."

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes. Where did she get the nerve to talk to him that way? But he had to admit he was intrigued. He would stay just a little longer.

17

"Wait a second," Karasuma interrupted. "You said that witches' powers could weaken if they were sick or injured. But I was just fine when my craft weakened a while ago. How do you explain that?"

Travisian carefully put the second scroll away before answering. "The explanation is simple. You are not a demonic witch."

Karasuma's face darkened with confusion. "What do you mean? What am I then?"

"You are what we call a holy witch," Travisian began. "Your powers come from your soul rather than your body. People like you are called witches just as your demonic friends are, but you are not like them. Allow me to illustrate. Robin is a demonic witch and so her powers will not fail her as long as she remains healthy. Your powers can wax and wane in response to your emotional state. It is my understanding that both Amon, and Robin were away during the time you mentioned. Is it possible that your powers weakened because of the pressure you were under?"

Karasuma paused and thought for a moment.

"You were kinda stressed out back then," Sakaki broke in.

"Kinda? She was totally freaking," Dojima laughed.

"You're saying that my craft weakened because of stress?" Karasuma asked.

"Your power returned when your friends did, no?" Travisian replied with his eyebrows raised.

Sakaki and Michael sniggered.

"You stressed so bad, you messed up your craft," Dojima giggled.

Karasuma valiantly ignored their teasing and focused on Travisian again.

"How do you know all of this?" she asked.

Travisian sat back in his chair. "That is precisely what I was about to tell you. For generations, my family has kept tabs on the Dog Clan and their allies and passed down this history in a collection of scrolls and papers known as the Dog Scrolls. As you may have guessed, the scroll which led Amon to the Swords of the Fang was one of many documents in the collection. The collection was always cared for by a senior member of my clan. However, forty years ago, word of the collection's existence was leaked to someone loyal to The Vatican. Being suspicious of all things that are not quite human, they sent their special unit, Section XIII to steal the collection. During our annual reunion celebration, they attacked the estate of our clan leader. We fought back, but unfortunately we had already lost most of the strength that had carried our ancestors through the turbulent Feudal Era. I and seven others were barely able to escape their assault. The Dog Scrolls often changed hands at the reunion so they had already been packed securely for transport. As a result, we were able to carry the entire collection out with us. The decision was made to split the collection into eight volumes. Each one is currently in the care of a survivor or their children. Two years ago, I was captured by Vatican agents and imprisoned in Rome. My volume of the Dog Scrolls was hidden away in their secret archives. Fortunately, I was able to win the loyalty of a few guards who helped me escape and get the scrolls back. I knew that there was no better place for me to seek help than here in Japan. After all, my family originated here. And the STN helped support our ancestors' efforts to preserve the demon race."

"And what do you mean by that?" Nagira spoke for the first time in a while.

By way of answer, Travisian pulled out a third scroll and began reading.

_The slayers have not disturbed our little community here as of yet. It is unclear whether they even know about us. Some of those who have taken shelter with us have started talking about leaving Japan altogether. Others have mentioned the possibility of organizing a counter-attack against the slayers. I believe that fighting back would only make things worse. And trying to abandon the country may not be a good idea either. It is not safe for demons to travel with the slayers patrolling the roads._

_Kohaku and Rin have been doing what they can to smuggle good-hearted demons through to us. But their resources are limited. It was years ago that they founded their investigation unit to counter demon crime, the Secret Taiji-ya Network. But now that demons are much rarer, they have lost much prestige among the lords in the area. They fear that before long they will have to pledge their loyalty to someone with money and influence in order to stay in business. Already, a foreigner by the name of Solomon has approached them. They turned down his offer. But if their situation gets any worse, they may have no choice but to reconsider._

Story Notes:

God Tree - The tree that Inuyasha was sealed against by Kikyo 50 years before Kagome's arrival in the Feudal Era. It's a time tree that connects different dimensions of time.

"golden-haired witch he remembered…" - See Hunting Dogs 2.

Taiji-ya - Demon slayer. Sango's family was called taiji-ya before they were massacred by Naraku's forces.

Secret Taiji-ya Network - STN (for those who didn't make the connection already). The organization that Robin, Amon, and their friends work for.

Solomon - The name of the mysterious group that controls the STN.


End file.
